The Geodetic Hull Number is Hard for Chordal Graphs

We show the hardness of the geodetic hull number for chordal graphs

Genomic Evidence for an African Expansion of Anatomically Modern Humans by a Southern Route

There is general agreement among scientists about a recent (less than 200,000 yrs ago) African origin of anatomically modern humans, whereas there is still uncertainty about whether, and to what extent, they admixed with archaic populations, which thus may have contributed to the modern populations’ gene pools. Data on cranial morphology have been interpreted as suggesting that, before the main expansion from Africa through the Near East, anatomically modern humans may also have taken a Southern route from the Horn of Africa through the Arabian peninsula to India, Melanesia and Australia, about 100,000 yrs ago. This view was recently supported by archaeological findings demonstrating human presence in Eastern Arabia 90,000 yrs ago. In this study we analyzed genetic variation at 111,197 nuclear SNPs in nine populations (Kurumba, Chenchu, Kamsali, Madiga, Mala, Irula, Dalit, Chinese, Japanese), chosen because their genealogical relationships are expected to differ under the alternative models of expansion (single vs. multiple dispersals). We calculated correlations between genomic distances, and geographic distances estimated under the alternative assumptions of a single dispersal, or multiple dispersals, and found a significantly stronger association for the multiple dispersal model. If confirmed, this result would cast doubts on the possibility that some non-African populations (i.e., those whose ancestors expanded through the Southern route) may have had any contacts with Neandertals

A genotypic analysis of five P. aeruginosa strains after biofilm infection by phages targeting different cell surface receptors

Book of Abstracts of CEB Annual Meeting 2017[Excerpt] Antibiotic resistance constitutes currently one of the most serious threats to the global public health and it urgently requires new and effective solutions. Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses increasingly recognized as being good alternatives to the traditional antibiotic therapies [1]. In the present study, the efficacy of phages against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm and planktonic cell cultures was evaluated over the course of 48 hours. Although significant reductions in the number of viable cells were achieved for both cases, the high level of adaptability of the bacteria in response to the selective pressure caused by phage treatment resulted in the emergence of phage-resistant variants. However, very few studies have explored this phenomenon. [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of the performance of the LHCb MWPC with cosmic rays

In this note we report the results of measurements performed with cosmic rays on different LHCb Muon Chambers. The main characteristics of the chambers have been investigated as a function of the high voltage value in order to achieve a better comprehension of the detector performance both for optimizing the chamber working conditions on the experimental apparatus and for providing useful information for the Monte Carlo simulation

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth, Invasion, and Migration partly through the Inhibition of Akt Pathway and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Enhanced Efficacy when Combined with Gemcitabine.

Most pancreatic cancers are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage when they have already metastasized. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenolic constituent of green tea, has been shown to reduce pancreatic cancer growth, but its effect on metastasis remains elusive. This study evaluated the capacity of EGCG to inhibit pancreatic cancer cell migration and invasion and the underlying mechanisms. EGCG reduced pancreatic cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. EGCG prevented "Cadherin switch" and decreased the expression level of TCF8/ZEB1, β-Catenin, and Vimentin. Mechanistically, EGCG inhibited the Akt pathway in a time-dependent manner, by suppressing IGFR phosphorylation and inducing Akt degradation. Co-treatment with catalase or N-Acetyl-L-cysteine did not abrogate EGCG's effect on the Akt pathway or cell growth. Moreover, EGCG synergized with gemcitabine to suppress pancreatic cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion, through modulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers and inhibiting Akt pathway. In summary, EGCG may prove beneficial to improve gemcitabine sensitivity in inhibiting pancreatic cancer cell migration and invasion, to some extent through the inhibition of Akt pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Fast emergence of phage-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm cells in response to the pressure exerted by bacteriophage treatment

Antibiotic resistance constitutes currently one of the most serious threats to the global public health and it urgently requires new and effective solutions. Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses increasingly recognized as an attractive alternative to the conventional antibiotic therapies. In the present study, the efficacy of phages against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm and planktonic cell cultures was evaluated over the course of 48 hours. Although significant reductions in the number of viable cells were achieved for both cases, the high adaptation capability of bacteria in response to the selective pressure caused by phage treatment, resulted in the inevitable arising of phage-resistant variants. In most cases, those variants appeared later in planktonic cultures than in biofilms. Given the interest in further understanding their genetic makeup and possible mutations accumulated, some were selected for further phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The complete genomes of five P. aeruginosa PAO1 phage-resistant variants were sequenced and all revealed to carry mutations in the galU gene, which is involved in lipopolysaccharide core biosynthesis, as well as in one pil gene, which is involved in type IV pilus synthesis. Three of the P. aeruginosa PAO1 variants further revealed large deletions (> 200 kbp) in their genomes. Overall the results of this study reveal that the selective pressure caused by phages while targeting biofilms results in a faster emergence of resistance compared to planktonic cultures, probably due to the high genetic diversity of cells within biofilms. Furthermore phage-resistant variants seem to be quite adapted to the biofilm phenotype